Republican lawmakers in Texas want to follow in the footsteps of Louisiana and introduce a bill that would reclassify abortion pills as controlled substances.
House Bill 1339, a bill by Texas Congressman Pat Curry (R), was introduced in November. classify Two abortion drugs, mifepristone and misoprostol, as Schedule IV substances. It falls into the same category as drugs that are useful but have the potential for abuse. Xanax or Valium. he said of texas tribune The bill aims to make it harder for women, especially minors, to obtain abortion pills online without a prescription.
“You can lie about your age, you can lie about your name, you can lie about your address, but there's no verification whatsoever,” he said, referring to online abortion pill prescribers. “And it goes to 15-year-old girls, 13-year-old girls.”
Abortion is nearly complete in Texas. limitedExcept for the mother's life and serious injury. Texas too outlawed However, many online pharmacies operate outside the United States or are subject to “shield laws” that legally protect health care providers who prescribe and mail abortion pills to states with pro-life laws. It's in
Curry told the show that the bill would not prevent doctors from prescribing the drug if necessary (the drug has other uses, such as treating miscarriages), but that it would not prevent doctors from prescribing the drug if necessary (the drug has other uses, such as treating miscarriage), but it would “widespread misuse” of will be stopped, he said.
Curry said he also consulted with obstetricians and gynecologists in the state and with the state of Louisiana, which is the author of the first similar law in the nation, passed in May. He also accused critics of the bill of voicing concerns as a “smokescreen” because they are completely opposed to abortion restrictions.
“I get that. We don't need or want any kind of regulation,” he said. “Regulation shouldn't be high on our list, especially as Republicans, but in this case, it's a necessary evil given the circumstances.”
A similar Louisiana bill, SB 276, would reclassify abortion pills and make it a crime to poison unsuspecting pregnant women with abortion pills.
In Louisiana, all abortions are illegal except to save the pregnant woman's life, prevent serious health risks, or if the baby is not expected to survive the pregnancy, but the law does not require a prescription. It is illegal to possess abortion pills. .
If found guilty of possessing abortion pills without a valid prescription, she could be sentenced to up to five years in prison. Pregnant women themselves are exempt from this law, and the law makes an exception for using the same drug for reasons other than abortion.
Sen. Thomas Pressley (R) introduced the bill after his pregnant Texas sister's husband secretly tried to abort her baby multiple times using abortion pills. The man, Mason Herring, ultimately pleaded guilty to injury to a child and assault on a pregnant person and was sentenced to six months in prison after reaching a plea deal with the district attorney. Shreveport Times reported.
“I don't think 180 days is justice when you tried to kill your child seven times,” Presley's sister, Katherine Herring, told The Associated Press at the time.
Herring was ultimately able to save her baby girl through a medical abortion reversal process. This is the process that the Democratic Party is currently undergoing. targeting However, reports say her daughter is currently suffering from some disadvantages due to being born 10 weeks early.
“I'm so grateful that my niece and sister survived this incredibly cruel crime, but I want to make sure that no other woman has to go through this,” Presley said. USA Today network.
“It's clear that six months in prison is not sufficient punishment for committing this crime,” Presley said. said. “Our family does not believe that justice was served in our sister's case.”
The Louisiana law is currently in effect, but is being challenged legally by some health care providers. submitted.
Pressley and Herring have reportedly offered to testify in support of Curry's proposed bill in Texas this Congress. tribune. Curry said he expects broad support from Republicans.
In particular, medication abortions will account for 63% of all abortions in the United States in 2023, up from 53% in 2020, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her at @thekat_Hamilton.
